An Auckland business owner is fed up with the level of crime that is happening consistently on his downtown street.
Howlin' Wolf Cuts & Coffee has been located on Elliott St in the Auckland CBD for the last three months and owner Daniel Armstrong told Newshub crime has been a consistent theme.
That occurred again on Monday morning when footage, sent to Newshub, showed a man walking aggressively around Elliott St swearing at members of the public.
The footage starts by showing a broken Howlin' Wolf Cuts & Coffee sign and a man walking around carrying a piece of wood, which Armstrong said was from the broken sign.
The man then smashes the piece of wood against a nearby seat while continuing to swear.
Armstrong told Newshub the man was fighting another person, which wasn't captured in the footage.
A police spokesperson told Newshub a 47-year-old man was arrested after a report of a group of men fighting each other.
"One male was reported to be using a plank of wood, another was reported to be holding a large craft knife," the spokesperson said.
The group had dispersed by the time police arrived at the scene, but a 47-year-old man was arrested and charged with possessing a knife in a public space and disorderly behaviour likely causing violence.
Armstrong told Newshub violent crime and fighting are a common occurrence on Elliott St at the moment.
He said his company's property like signs or any kind of frame keep getting damaged.
"Every sign we've put out we've had stolen or smashed like vandalised and we had a pole which could be essentially used as a weapon that was taken from us as well," he said.
"We're not the only ones, it happens to everyone on Elliott Street."
Armstrong believes it's the same group of around 30 to 40 people fighting and describes it as "local domestic violence".
He told Newshub the level of crime on Elliott St has "100 percent" affected his business.
"It's infuriating and it's not just that, they do it consistently, they do it all the time and nothing gets done about it," he said.
"I feel like the police do a really good job, but then there's no prosecution, there's no anything, so nothing gets done and that's the annoying thing because I want people to feel safe to come to my work as well."
Police said the 47-year-old who was arrested is scheduled to appear in the Auckland District Court on Friday and confirmed no one was injured during the fight.
